Storiascopio · Era 5 of 12 · primary year 5
The Battle of Thermopylae
480 BC · Pass of Thermopylae (Greece)
In short
Ten years after Marathon, the Persian king Xerxes invaded Greece with an enormous army. At the pass of Thermopylae, a narrow strip of land between mountains and sea, the Spartan king Leonidas and a few thousand Greeks held him back for three days. When a traitor showed the Persians a hidden path, Leonidas stayed to fight with his three hundred Spartans and a few allies, and nearly all of them were killed. A few weeks later the Greek fleet won at Salamis.
Why it matters For the Greeks, their sacrifice became the symbol of defending freedom.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Battle of Thermopylae”
Where we are in the era “Ancient Greece”
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about 800 BCEvent 11 of 25about 100 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-battle-of-thermopylae/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class